Computer Systems Lab Vision Statement 2009
The TJHSST Computer Systems Lab supports and promotes current and advanced
computer science areas such as artificial intelligence, computer vision and computer
graphics, agent based modeling platforms, and the integration into our curriculum of
parallel programming for high performance computing theory and applications. Our
vision for the future is to continue our emphasis on machine learning, computational
(high performance) computer applications, computer graphics techniques, image
processing and machine vision applications, and agent based modeling applications.
In the future we want to maintain the unique student culture in the lab. Students
congregate and share ideas before school, during lunch, in 8th period activities, and after
school, particularly through remote access. Students are able to imagine, design,
implement, maintain, and pass on individual contributions to the lab, in areas as diverse
as workstation images, web-based software, network architecture and configuration, and
high performance computing clusters. This kind of student-focused, student-centered,
student-initiated culture has made our lab the gold-standard for high school computing.
The server room that we have here is an integral part of maintaining this culture.
In support of our vision for the coming years, our equipment requires regular
updating. We will continue to need high end graphics cards and workstations at the rate
of one third per year (approximately 17 per year). Also we have the expectation of
continued cluster architectures available. We expect to support, have workstations for, at
least 50 students at a time in our lab.
Specifically we teach the following electives and senior research focus. We feel these
topic areas are forward looking for the coming decade:
Artificial Intelligence – 2 semesters
AI 1 - Graphs, heuristics, optimization, recursion, pruning, minimax
- Language: Python, no prior experience, www.python.org for free software
AI 2 -Image processing, machine vision, constraint solvers and sudoku, agent
based modeling, machine learning, neural networks; Language: Python.
Website: www.tjhsst.edu/compsci/ai
Parallel Computing – 2 semesters
PC 1 - Huffman compression, projectile motion, parameter search, fractal
generation, Brownian motion and diffusion, cellular automata, heat equation;
 Language: C, no prior experience, plus MPI and 2-D OpenGL.
PC 2 - JPEG compression, orbital mechanics and the N-Body problem, iterative
matrix solvers, and graphics rendering via ray tracing;
 Language: C with MPI and 3-D OpenGL, plus XMT, CUDA, OpenMP.
Website: www.tjhsst.edu/compsci/parallel
Computer Systems Research
The Computer Systems Laboratory supports studies in theoretical and applied
computational science, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, and
supercomputing. Working in a UNIX environment, students are able to investigate a
wide range of pure and applied research topics utilizing a variety of computer languages
and styles. Projects fall within a broad spectrum of computer science areas spanning
computer graphics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, high performance computing,
grid/distributed computing, computational science applications such as computational
linguistics, agent based modeling of complex systems including social complexity,
software design, and theoretical algorithmic development of ideas as varied as tree data
structures to ant colony search optimization.
The Computer Systems Laboratory emphasizes a multilingual computer language
community, featuring C/C++, Java, Python, Ruby, XML, PHP, Perl, MySQL, JavaScript,
Tk, OpenGL, Fortran, Lisp, and MASON (Multi-Agent Simulator of Neighborhoods)
and NetLogo for agents based environments.
Mentorship opportunities are available in computer science and computational science
applications through a variety of businesses and organizations such as the Naval
Research Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, George Mason University, and the TurnerFairbank Highway Research Center.
Research areas include
 from AI 1: Graphs amd search techniques; heuristics; games and learning;
genetic algorithms and learning, minimax trees.
 from AI 2: Image processing, machine vision, agent based modeling, machine
learning, neural networks.
 from Parallel Computing 1: Compression techniques, numerical simulation,
parallization methods, gridding strategies
 from Parallel Computing 2: Cellular Automata and parallization, threads and
sockets, 3D graphics, parallel platforms
 other areas include: agent based modeling, computer graphics, computer
vision, computational science, computers in education, other applications such
as computer music
Mentorship with research labs, universities, companies; Competitions -TJ Science fair,
Intel, Siemen's; Publication - Teknos
Eighth Period
Computer Team, www.tjhsst.edu/sct
Science Fair Interest 9-11
SEE THE BLUEPRINT BELOW
Projection Screen
ROOM 115 COMP SYS LAB
10-12 computer workstations
White board
DOOR
Window
Projector
10-12 computer Teacher desk
workstations
and
work area
Teacher desk
and
work area
SERVER ROOM
10-12
workstations
MULTI – NODE
COMPUTER
CLUSTER (100 nodes)
Wall
10-12 workstations
White board
AIR
CONDITIONER
MULTIPLE
SERVERS (10-12)
10-12 workstations
Wall
white board
Projection screen
Projector
Classroom area
Door
Sys Admin workstations
and work area 5-8 workstations
30-35 student desks
DOOR
Piano
Door
Window
Office
DOOR
Door
Door
Office/library
Office
The Computer Systems Lab would like to maintain it's current layout and
structural plan in Room 115. See the attached rough sketch of our room and
allocations for:
 approximately 50 student workstations,
 5-8 system administrator workstations,
 3 offices + 2 additional teacher work areas and desks,
 classroom area for approximately 30 students,
 plentiful white board space,
 2 projection areas with projectors and screens
 quality laser printers, at least 2 – one for backup, our printers support
printjobs for many students from other classes throughout the day
 server area with space for large air conditioner, 32+ node cluster,
multiple servers
We continue to support and promote advanced and current computer science
areas such as artificial intelligence, computer vision and computer graphics,
agent based modeling platforms, and the integration into our curriculum of
parallel programming for high performance computing theory and
applications.
Vendors used by our lab:
HP (workstations, printers)
Intel (clusters)
ViewSonic (monitors)
NVidia (graphics cards)
Cisco (networking)
Sun (Academic Excellence Grant, 2008)